With blood dripping from his mouth, kael continued to run.
"Huff Huff "
"Huff Huff haa haa"
Under the piercing sunlight, kael maneuvered sharply through the obstacles, running for his life, uncaring of his injuries.
After having run for who knows how long, Kael's clothes had been dyed red and were riddled with holes of all sizes.
'Just, just a bit more and, and ah-'
Running for miles for days without a blink of rest and food is an arduous task even for someone like him,
Just as he was dashing towards the periphery of the islands, a duo launched a combo attack from behind, blasting him several miles away and knocking him unconscious
Given that he was severely injured bleeding all over and is not even a cultivator to begin with, so it was natural for this happen.
"Hahahahaha"
"Hahahahaha"
"Ah why did you stop!, it was such a fun "
"I was bored killing all those defenceless people, I thought atleast you come give me some resistance. But bah!, you turned out to be a limp pest as well"
"Stop it Ned!", the man presumably the leader of the bunch, spat in a cold, demanding voice that lacks any emotions whatsoever.
"As much as you'd like to vent, remember that HE is not someone you can take it on", The man's voice was neither humble nor overbearing, as if it didn't matter whether his words were obeyed or not–yet, somehow they always were.
"Even at this miserable state, he is someone noble and holy",
"Tck"
"Consider yourself lucky, I tell you, being saved from the torture that awaited you–because of him.
"You're surely having it easy, heh, your death, of course! Just look at you, standing there without a care in the world. If it weren't for him, you'd be in a far worse predicament right now. But here you are, feeling safe, while I hold your fate in my hands." Hissed the vile rogue in a frustrated tone, aiming his long rapier into kael's torso ready to lunge anytime.
"Easy, buddy. The orders are not to kill him; he might be the last of his clan," said a man with a clean-cut appearance and a smile on his face, as if he were on vacation and all of this had nothing to do with him. "We're just supposed to capture him. Besides, it would be such a shame to end a legacy like his. Who knows what secrets he might hold? We could use him for leverage later. Let's keep it interesting, shall we?"
His voice dripped with a casual confidence, as if the stakes were nothing more than a fleeting inconvenience in his otherwise carefree life.
"Yes, the dead don't talk, remember?" a woman said, her tone surprisingly cute for the situation. Her bright eyes sparkled with mischief, and a playful smile danced on her lips. "We want him alive, whatever the need may be." Despite the tension around her, there was an air of confidence in her demeanor, as if she reveled in the chaos unfolding before her.
And without any suspense, this prevented Ned from unleashing his fury on Kael, the consequence of which would have otherwise been his leader's retribution.
"Ok, stop making a mess here, now that the numbers are down to just one, all the troops might be converging here in a while". The leader who was silent for a while now commanded.
And so, the group of fifty strong men stayed still waiting for the hour, while totally disregarding the unconscious youth lying on the ground.
–––– –––– –––– ––— —— ——
Five hours later,
"How much longer until the main troops arrive?" Ned yelled, his impatience evident. "We've been waiting here for God knows how long!"
"Something's not right. It shouldn't take this long, even after sending the distress signal," the woman from earlier probed in an ethereal tone.
"Do you think we should send someone to look out for them, sir?" The cynical hunk asked.
"No! the orders are to wait here, so we wait here", the leader grunted, totally unyielding.
Just then, the gentle wind currents began to pick up, and the view gradually became misty as a red fog started to form. It was so subtle that one wouldn't notice it without concentrating
Faint sounds of metal clicking and falling echoed all around, creating an unsettling rhythm in the air. The wind picked up speed, and the surroundings began to turn murky, spreading a dreadful atmosphere throughout the area.
"Sir, I think something is definitely wrong here. Would you like me to check on the other units?" a man who appeared to be the leader's trusted subordinate asked.
"No, it wouldn't be wise to leave when the atmosphere is so thick with tension, even if you are strong enough," the leader replied, his voice steady. "I sense a deep foreboding here that we can't ignore."
"Aaarrrghhh!! Aaarrrghhh!!"
Suddenly, one of the female troopers around the corner screamed at the top of her lungs as she faced the unconscious noble. The already heavy atmosphere sank even deeper, the dreadful aura of death hanging thick in the air.
In an instant, the trooper's head was severed from her body by the leader's razor-sharp greatsword.
"Cease your distractions! What provoked her scream?" He barked, his attention shifting only after the deed was done. His ruthlessness was unmistakable; to him, order reigned supreme over life itself.
Hehehe… heheehee…
Hahaha! Ahahah!
Hahhahha!
What began as a weak chuckle gradually grew louder and more unsettling, each peal of laughter sending chills down the listener's spine and making their scalp prickle with dread..
Everyone's attention snapped to Kael, no longer the pitiful figure they once knew. His presence hummed with a chaotic energy, unstable and dreadful. His eyes gleamed with a wild intensity, like a storm barely restrained. Something dark simmered beneath his skin, the air thickening with the unspoken threat. He moved as if on the edge of unleashing something far worse than himself, and the room tensed, knowing disaster was just a heartbeat away.
Gathering all his energy and resolve, he opened his mouth to speak.
"Death is not the end; it's just m—"
Thwack!
Without hesitation or flourish, the leader thrust his sword into Kael, ending his life instantly, rendering the scene almost absurdly comical.
"Let's retreat for now and search for the other divisions," the leader commanded, collecting himself after a brief pause before leading the group onward.
However, his worst fears were soon confirmed. As he stepped away from Kael's lifeless body, he noticed that the bloody mist, once swirling aimlessly, began to converge ominously around them.
Clap!
Boom!
Lightning cracked across the sky as the winds howled fiercely, and the gory haze rushed in, converging and swirling around Kael like a protective shield.
Seeing this, all the assassins felt a chill crawl up their spines as their scalps turned numb. Each breath hung heavy in the air, and they swallowed hard, fear constricting their throats, paralyzed by the looming dread of what might come next.
"I told you, death is not the end, it isn't a mercy. You will find only despair as your eternal companion".
[Congratulations to the host for fulfilling the awakening conditions of the divine artifact: 'Wretched Crown of the Abyss.']
[Unidentified error!]
[The host appears to be deceased. How unfortunate!]
[The Crown sacrificed a fragment of its abyssal divinity to resurrect the host.]
[The host is now granted the supremacy class: 'Crowned Apparition.']
[The host is...]
[The host...]